A Cold, Dark, and Endless Night
by Allicat9
Summary: The night Marlene McKinnon was murdered-no one heard her scream...Warning:violence-Please R&R


**REVIEW PLEASE**

The air was bitterly cold and Marlene shivered then pulled her clock tighter in an attempt to shield herself from the icy wind. It was Friday, _finally_, and she couldn't wait to get back to her flat-the teapot was partially calling to her. Dead leaves danced across her path as she ascended the steps to her home, hands shaking as she pulled off one of her gloves to push the key into the lock. Alice always made fun of her for, as she put it, "acting like a muggle", but Marlene thought there was something comforting about doing things without magic.

The door opened without a sound, swinging into the dark entry way. She entered, taking her time, closing the door behind her, unwinding her scarf from around her neck, kicking off her shoes, pulling her wand from her pocket and placing it on the mantle of the key rack by the door.

"Hello Marlene."

She froze. Her keys clattered to the floor.

"Travers."

The man chuckled, unfolding himself from the couch. _Her couch_. She couldn't help the shudder of rage that passed through her as she watched that-that spider unfurl himself and rise to his full height, his dark eyes glittering with mirth.

She lunged for her wand, but Travers was too quick for her, blasting the entire mantle away before her hand could find purchase.

"Tsk, tsk McKinnon, that wasn't nice at all, and we both know how much I appreciate it when people _play nice_." He leered down at her, his rancid breath fanning across her face, making her nose wrinkle in disgust.

Without warning his hand collided with the side of her face, sending her sprawling to the floor, her head snapping back against the wall. She noticed the stickiness before she felt the pain and when she reached back to touch the tender area on the back of her skull, it came away covered in a thick red substance that Marlene did not have the presence of mind to put a name to.

Travers prowled closer to where she lay, putting one booted foot on her heaving chest and pressing down, making it harder for her to breathe, harder for her to concentrate. His lips were moving but she couldn't make out what he was saying-it didn't matter anyhow. She needed her wand-where was her wand?

Ahah! She had spotted it, just and inch or two away from her right foot-if she could just…

_Keep him talking._

The voice seemed to come out of nowhere, echoing through her clouded mind, and suddenly, everything snapped back into focus.

"How did you find me?" she asked, interrupting whatever he had been babbling about. She kept her eyes trained on the Death Eaters face while her foot inches towards her wand. But instead of looking irritated, as she expected, Travers face broke out into an impossibly bigger smile.

'Why that's a very interesting question, Marlene." Travers removed his foot from her chest, confident in her inability to rise, and began to absentmindedly twirl his wand around his fingers, "You see you Order people have been causing my Master a great deal of grief. Nothing he cannot handle of course, (for my Master can do anything), but you have all become a persistent nuisance, and one that he wants to eliminate sooner rather then later."

"That still doesn't explain-"

"I'm getting to that; I'm getting to that!' He grinned, waving her off, "My you people sure don't know how to be patient do you?"

Marlene ignored the taunt, focusing all of her energy on the task at hand, her foot inching ever closer to the tip of her wand.

"I bet your wondering how exactly it is I found your place of residence Marlene, being as Dumbledore is expending more resources then he has, trying to keep all of you blood traitors alive."

She paused, her eyes flicking to his momentarily, for she had been wondering that. She should have been impossible to locate. She should have been invisible.

"Do you know, it's funny just what secrets people will let slip when their son is being tortured to death before their very eyes."

He said it calmly, as though he were talking about the weather, and, for a moment, Marlene did not comprehend what he ment. But then, suddenly, it all came crashing down.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THEM YOU BASTARD!" she shrieked, and, wand forgotten, she lunged at him, managing to sink her nails into his face

He was caught off guard, that was for sure, but Travers' recovered quickly and sent Marlene sprawling back once more.

"Bitch." He spat, wiping the blood from his cheek, "Just like your mother I see. She was a fighter, so was your dad, but that brother of yours-what's his name?"

"Rory." Marlene wheezed, trying to stand once more, her hand clutching what was sure to be broken ribs. Her eyes closed and she fought for composure, for the fact that he had used the past tense when speaking of her family had not escaped her notice.

"Yes, him. He screamed like a little pussy. Made your mother real upset to hear him, but I thought he was fascinating. You see, I've never heard a human being make that sound before…it was quite the education."

"He's only sixteen."

"Was, Marlene my dear, was." Travers said, moving closer and seizing her by the hair, forcing her to look at him, 'And I confess, he sparked a curiosity within me, which is quite difficult to do, I assure you. I very much want to hear that sound again, you see, and I'm wondering if it runs in the family."

Before she could react he had pointed his wand at her forehead, "_Crucio!"_

Her head exploded. Scratch that. Every pore in her body had exploded. Vaguely she could hear her tormenter laughing, but it was all drowned out by the pain, the gut wrenching, heart stopping pain that now licked through her convulsing body like an untamed fire.

And then it stopped.

"How disappointing…" Travers mused, his cruel face swimming before her eyes, "not like your brother at all…more like your Aunt, oh yes." He smiled as Marlene's eyes widened, "We got them too. Great fighters, your family, too bad they choose a loosing side."

"You'll never win." Marlene gasped, struggling to stand, but with another well aimed kick from Travers she was once again knocked to her knees.

"Dumbledore is a foolish old man, who places the needs of a few over the good of the many." Travers spat, his eyes darkening as he glared down at the young woman before him, "He is finished, and, because _you_ choose to follow him, your family is as well."

"You will never-"

"I grow tired of your mouth-CRUCIO!"

The pain wrenched through her again, this time longer then the last. His eyes, gleaming with malice, swam about her and then, mercifully, were swallowed by darkness.

When she came to, the house was silent but for her panicky gasps. For a moment, she was confused as to why she was lying on the floor, but in a moment, it all came crashing down on her, and she couldn't hold back the scream on anguish that tore through her.

"Ah, so we're awake now, are we?" Travers sneered lazily from her arm chair near the fire. Marlene struggled to move, to gasp, to say anything, but her throat was closed and, try as she might, her limbs would not obey her commands.

"As…fun…as this has been Marlene, I do believe it's time for me to kill you now." He smiled, exposing his yellow teeth to her, "Do say hi to your dear little brother for me."

But Marlene could not feel the sting of his taunt. In a way, she was almost relieved that it was all over. She allowed her eyes to drift closed as she awaited his final curse.

A curse that did not come.

Confused, she struggled to open her eyes, impervious to her captors barking laughter.

"You think I would make it that easy for you McKinnon? After all the trouble you caused?" He snorted, almost gleeful in his incredulity, "Not bloody likely!"

Marlene's eyes widened and she couldn't help the sudden twisting in the pit of her stomach.

"No," Travers whispered, "I'm going to make you suffer-I'm going to make sure that you know that it is your fault they are dead. And when they find you-they'll know too."

And then he cut her. And Marlene screamed.

As he carved into her skin, the physical pain was nothing compared to the metal anguish of knowing almost everyone she loved had died that night. Uncle Boyd and Aunt Bonnie, Gavin and sweet Effie, Baby Richie (he's only three, she cried as she felt his name join that of his parents on her quivering stomach), and Ewan, who's she was sure, despite the Death Easter's taunts, went down fighting. Her Uncle Bruce's name, as well as her Aunts Kenna's were tattooed across her back, she felt the blood pooling in the ridges of her spine, but she can't bring herself to care.

She screamed, she knows she screamed, because she doesn't want to die, not like this. Never like this. And all she could hear is her screams and Travers' laughter.

And then came the worst names. He took his time, taunting her, flipping her body this way and that. And then he cut her face. _Rory _across her cheek _Fenella _across her breast and _Douglas _across her throat.

And then it was done, he vanished in a haze of black smoke and laughter. And as the last crimson drops of life seeped out of Marlene's throat and her luminous blue eyes fluttered shut, the dawn broke. The sun came up. It was going to be a beautiful day.


End file.
